PRIMITIVE WEEVIL

any member of the almost 2,000 species of the beetle family Brenthidae (order Coleoptera). These insects occur throughout the world but are most prevalent in the tropics. The female uses her long, straight snout to bore holes in trees for her eggs. The male's snout is short, broad, and flat. Most species are between 7 and 30 mm (0.3 to 1.2 inches) in length and are dark in colour with orange markings on the wing covers (elytra). The adults live under tree bark, feeding on fungi, sap, and other insects. The larvae bore through wood and may cause considerable damage to living trees.